The University of Wyoming wrestling team delivered a commanding 26-9 win over Northern Colorado on Sunday at the UniWyo Sports Complex, capping off the regular season with a strong performance on Senior Night, WyoToday.com reports.
Graduate student Sam Mitchell (HWT), who joined the team just six months ago, played a key role in the Cowboys’ victory. With the dual already decided, the home crowd began chanting his name—“Let’s go, Sam”—as he took the mat. Mitchell delivered, securing a 5-1 decision over Jose Valdez to put an exclamation mark on Wyoming’s win.
“It was cool to get the crowd chanting,” head coach Mark Branch said. “I love that they stuck around until the end and that they were getting behind Sam on Senior Day. I hope he recognizes how special our fans are because we know how special he’s been to us and our success this year.”
Mitchell was one of 10 seniors recognized before the dual, and he wasn’t the only one to claim a victory. Garrett Ricks (125) set the tone for Wyoming with a 5-3 decision over Bryson Valdez, while Cooper Voorhees (165) kept the momentum going with a 7-3 decision over Daishun Powe.
While Wyoming’s seniors shined, one of the night’s most anticipated matchups came at 157 pounds, where No. 17 Jared Hill avenged an earlier loss to No. 14 Vinny Zerban. Hill edged out Zerban 3-1 in tiebreaker-1, flipping the result from their last meeting when Zerban won in sudden victory.
Meanwhile, No. 25 Eddie Neitenbach (184) and No. 9 Joey Novak (197) continued their dominant seasons. Neitenbach cruised to a 15-3 major decision over AJ Heeg, while Novak controlled his match from start to finish, securing a 16-2 major decision over Andrew Donahue to officially clinch the dual for Wyoming.
The Cowboys’ lineup also saw wins from No. 19 Gabe Willochell (149), who secured a 2-0 decision over Benji Alanis, and Riley Davis (174), who earned a 4-1 decision over Clayton Ulrey thanks to a late takedown.
“We didn’t have one guy today that didn’t go out and fight for the entire match,” Branch said. “We bounced back well after Air Force. I think they listened to the message on how to wrestle and how to compete.”
With the regular season now complete, Wyoming will host the Cowboy Shootout on Feb. 23 at the Arena-Auditorium, giving many of the team’s backups a chance to compete. The focus then shifts to the Big 12 Tournament, set for March 8-9 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the Cowboys will aim to build on their 12-6 overall record (6-3 Big 12).
Final Results: Wyoming 26 | Northern Colorado 9
- 125: Garrett Ricks (Wyo.) def. Bryson Valdez (UNC) – 5-3 decision
- 133: No. 13 Dominic Serrano (UNC) def. Stockton O’Brien (Wyo.) – Fall (3:26)
- 141: No. 2 Andrew Alirez (UNC) def. No. 18 Cole Brooks (Wyo.) – 11-6 decision
- 149: No. 19 Gabe Willochell (Wyo.) def. Benji Alanis (UNC) – 2-0 decision
- 157: No. 17 Jared Hill (Wyo.) def. No. 14 Vinny Zerban (UNC) – 3-1 tiebreaker-1
- 165: Cooper Voorhees (Wyo.) def. Daishun Powe (UNC) – 7-3 decision
- 174: Riley Davis (Wyo.) def. Clayton Ulrey (UNC) – 4-1 decision
- 184: No. 25 Eddie Neitenbach (Wyo.) def. AJ Heeg (UNC) – 15-3 major decision
- 197: No. 9 Joey Novak (Wyo.) def. Andrew Donahue (UNC) – 16-2 major decision
- HWT: Sam Mitchell (Wyo.) def. Jose Valdez (UNC) – 5-1 decision
